What a Girl Wants
by S.h.a.t.t.e.r.e.d.O.n.e.s
Summary: Rin Nara has been crushing Nehi Hyuga for years yet still hasn't to get a response. Is it time to move on? Or will love provail? Find out on "What a Girl Wants"


"No."

"No."  
"... What?"  
"I said _no_, Neji."  
"And why not?"  
Rin Nara whirled around and glared at the Hyuuga straight in the eye. Which was quite a feat, since most people would quake and die on the spot at the look he was giving _her_ right now. But since Rin was not 'most people' to him, she remained alive and healthy.  
5 years with him did wonders to train her resistance against his, uh, 'unique' demeanor. 3 years of following him around after Rin's graduation when she was twelve and he was 13 and another 2 serving as his partner in the ANBU was not all useless. A girl had to learn to defend herself from those demeaning looks he gave people so often when around his person.  
Or maybe it was just because it was Rin.  
Whatever the reason was, she was beyond it. She was exhausted and her muscles ached and she stank from sweat. She was NOT going to continue training with Neji no matter how much her glared at her.  
"Because! I'm tired, Neji. We've been training the whole afternoon and no offence, but your Kaiten takes a lot out of me. All I want to do now is go home and nap for the rest of the evening then prepare for my date later."  
Was it her, or did a grimace just come over Neji's smooth features? Before she could examine closer though, his face was as inscrutable as ever. She must have imagined it, probably from the fatigue that was creeping into every bone in her body.  
Since Neji chose not to respond to that, she continued. "Anyway, I'll be heading home now. See you tomorrow, Neji. Maybe we can train then!"  
She mustered the brightest and most apologetic smile she could manage and re-holstered the last few of her kunai. Then she walked off. She didn't see the look on Neji's face then, nor did she know that he remained rooted to the spot for a good five minutes before turning around and walking back towards his own home.  
On the way though, he bumped into his former teammate. Just his luck.  
When Rock Lee saw that it was Neji that stood in front of him, he smiled and his teeth went *ping!*.  
"Ah, my eternal rival! I trust from the look on your face that you have told our beloved Rin how you feel about her going on that date? You did stop her, right? You have to tell me everything of what must have been a youthful and romantic conversation!"  
Considering that Neji was wearing a look of complete annoyance at Lee's perpetual enthusiasm, this didn't quite fit. As it was, Neji didn't bother deigning an answer and stepped around Lee, continuing on his way, fists clenched by his side.  
Lee was not to be deterred.  
"Please, Neji! You have to tell me! My ex-teammate and friend, together at last! This is wonderful news!"

"Don't keep silent! Come, share your joys of love with everyone! You surely must have said something to her! What was it you said? You have to tell me every single, tiny bit of detail!"

Eighteen years and he still couldn't defend _himself_ from Lee.  
"You were training with her this afternoon, am I right? So you must have talked to her, am I ri-"  
"No." Came the wondrously detailed reply.  
"No? You mean that you have not to Rin that you do not approve of the date with this Shiro person? That you are jealous of him? That your eternal love for her will bloom like a beautiful lotus forever? That-"  
"Shut up, Lee."  
"But isn't it true?" Lee asked with the familiar curious and naive tone of his.  
Well, at least some things never changed, Neji thought, sighing inwardly. Lee would always retain this state of naivety. But everything else had changed, sometimes whether he wanted it or not. He didn't mind being promoted to Jounin and then ANBU, he was the earliest out of everybody else. Then everybody else caught up with him and ironically Rin became his partner. Not that he minded, out of everyone, Rin was the most... tolerable.  
And that was probably around the time his feelings for her started changing too, slowly, from platonic to something more. It was soon reciprocated. But after that, everything came to a halt. There was no confession, no dates, no kisses, nothing. He never made a move. That was because Rin never seemed to be the type to be infatuated and romanced. She was more of the 'I'd rather go on three S-rank missions in a row than pick flowers while dancing in a field' type.  
And after a while, like the gossip about them, the feeling sort of died away in her. At least he thought so. His hadn't died, it was still stored somewhere in him, and had recently ignited again, like a sudden flare in the dark, when he heard about Rin and Shiro.  
Still, his 'eternal love for her will bloom like a beautiful lotus forever'?  
"Lee, you're completely blowing this out of proportion. I never said I was jealous of her date. She can do whatever she wants, she's a grown woman."  
"Yes, but you are jealous. You love her, don't you? So go forth and proclaim your undying affection to the woman of your dreams before it's too late!"  
"Lee, why in the world would I want to take dating advice from _you_ anyway? You're still Sakura-less as she is too busy pining for Sasuke. Also, get this straight. I. Do. Not. Care. Who. Tenten. Dates. Now, go home. It's getting late."  
"Did you just say Tenten has a date?!" Some one behind Neji squealed. He mentally smacked himself on the head as a blond woman walked up and promptly added herself into the conversation. "Who is the lucky guy? Is he cute? How many babies does she plan on having?"  
"Ino, calm down." Chouji said, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. Behind him, Kiba growled under his breath.  
"Hey, I'll tell her when to calm down, not you!" he said. Ino rolled her eyes as Chouji gave Kiba a blank look.  
"So, what's this about Rin and a date?" she pressed. Lee immediately launched into a passionate explanation about Rin's recent development in her love life.  
"... and so, he gave her another bouquet of flowers and asked her out! And she looked at Neji real sadly for a bit, and then she looked back at Shiro and said 'yes'!" he finished. Neji blinked, he didn't notice her looking over at him at all.  
"That's so sweet! All the flowers and gifts he gave her!" Ino gushed as she listened to Lee's tale in rapture. "And isn't Shiro that guy who's about thirty? Two years older than us and Rin? Well, one year for you and Neji. He is not half-bad looking! Cute!"

Kiba immediately made a mental note to kill Shiro as soon as he got the chance and Chouji mumbled, "But you said _I_ was cute..."  
Ino sweatdropped. "Erm, of course you are! And you too!" she added, seeing the look on Kiba's face. "It's just, I'm very glad that Rin can finally have some fun and maybe settle down soon with a family! She deserves it, with the rough life she's had. Especially wasting her youth waiting for someone that didn't appreciate her." She looked pointedly at Neji as she said that. He ignored her. He was good at ignoring people.  
'So good at ignoring that now the only woman that you want to spend the rest of your life with is taken.' he berated himself bitterly. But he wasn't about to say that out loud.  
"Rin is not the type to settle down. She doesn't want intimate relationships. She doesn't need to have a family. She's a kunoichi." he said quietly but Ino waved him off simply.  
"You don't know squat about Rin or what she wants! Practically every girl wants it! So anyway, I was thinking, do you think she wants a big wedding or a small one? I'm thinking big though. You know, with a lovely long gown to match. She'll look beautiful as she walks down the aisle towards Shiro! They'll have a wonderful wedding and the wedding night will be even better I bet!" Ino was saying, sending covert, meaningful glances at Neji which he did not miss.  
But at the mention of wedding night, certain unwanted images flooded into his brain, making his blood boil. He knew that Ino was thinking way too far and that she was only doing this to get him jealous, but dammit! It was working.  
Without another word, he spun on his heel and walked away. By the time he got back to the Hyuuga compound, dusk had fallen and the streetlights were just lighting up. Crickets started sounding as the moon appeared in the sky.  
But Neji didn't go in. No, the clan prodigy was pacing the gardens outside even as the sky continued to darken. He was frowning now and no one would dare to disturb him when he was like that. Not even Hiashi, though he kept his distance not from fear but from the fact that the aura that radiated from Neji at times like this could kill innocent bunnies and make birds drop from mid-flight. Simply put, when Neji was like that, it was unpleasant.  
But not everyone abide by this unspoken rule. Hinata appeared and sat down on the steps, setting down the tray she had been balancing next to her. She watched Neji pace for a little while, her hand now on her swollen belly, smoothing over it gently.  
"Neji-niisan, time for a break, I think." she finally called out in her soft voice. He stopped and looked at her, sitting contently on one of the steps as she proffered a cup of green tea towards him. His features soften slightly and he took the cup, sitting down next to her.  
"When is he due?" he said, not elaborating any further. But she understood.  
"Next month. He'll be an October baby, just like his daddy." she whispered, a smile gracing her sweet face.  
"Naruto sure has skill. He was always one to surprise even me. Getting you pregnant in the second month of your marriage was quite a feat. And now, another one." Neji said as he cradled the cup of tea in his hands.  
She giggled. "Yes, he's wonderful. I'm glad it's a boy this time. Naruto has wanted a boy since ages ago. Not that he loves Ai any less." she quickly corrected herself. "Our little girl is wonderful. She has just gotten into the habit of going about and pulling my skirt, begging me to teach her to be a ninja. And she's only just turning three!"  
Hinata's smile was radiant as she reminisced about her daughter. The baby was a little bag of joy, with her bright sunshine-coloured hair and smiling Hyuuga eyes.  
"I don't mean any offence, but doesn't it get annoying after a while? The skirt-tugging thing?" Neji asked.  
Hinata blinked in surprise. "Not at all. It's really very sweet. I hope Naruto is taking care of her properly. I left him to care for her today so that I could visit my father." She explained.  
Neji nodded. "He better be. She's my niece too."  
Hinata smiled as she cast a sideways glance at her cousin. His own past had made this a sensitive issue and she did not question his defensiveness over her daughter.  
"But, Neji..." Her brow now creased slightly. "How are things with... her?" He didn't need to ask either to get what she meant. He didn't answer her right away. Then...  
"There's nothing. She has a date with another guy tonight." His voice wasn't all that firm when he said there was 'nothing'. Hinata knew better than to point that out though.  
"Shiro, is it?"  
"Yeah, but what for I don't know. He doesn't deserve her."  
"You think that?"  
"Yes. He doesn't deserve her at all. She's too good for that bastard. He's just a useless pretty boy chuunin, he won't even be able to protect her if danger befalls her. He wouldn't know how to buy gifts for her either."  
"No?"  
"Come one, wooing her with almond chocolate?" Neji said, working himself up into a mild frenzy. "Tenten hates almonds in her chocolate! He doesn't anything about her! He probably doesn't even know that her favourite colour is lavender either, or that she likes white roses over red, that she prefers running water to ponds, and she puts dark chocolate on every flavour of ice-cream except for chocolate itself, and how she likes a hug when there's lightning because of a certain accident that occured when she was five that made her afraid of it!" he finished off all in one breath, panting slightly.  
"But you do." Hinata pointed out quietly. "You know a lot about her, don't you?"  
"Yes, I do!" he said, sounding defensive.  
"And you know who she really loves too."  
Neji fell silent.  
"It's not Shiro, is it?" Hinata asked gently.  
He shook his head mutely.  
"Then are you going to let her go through with this?"  
Again, Neji was silent. He sat there looking straight ahead as Hinata serenely swirled the tea in her cup, allowing the tea to cool faster.  
Suddenly, Neji stood up, still staring ahead. He handed his untouched tea back to Hinata and started walking towards the gates. Halfway there, he turned back and gave an almost imperceptible smile to his cousin. If it were anyone else but her, they would have never caught it. But she did.  
"Thanks."  
"Just glad I could help." she said, taking a sip of the warm fluid.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Rin was putting the finishing touches of her make-up and was about to slip into her dress when she heard someone knocking on the door. "Nii-San can you get that!?"She yelled to Shikamaru. He didn't answer. She glanced up at the clock.  
'Crap, I'm already running late! Maybe if I ignored the person, they'll go away. Just this once.' She promised herself. But they wouldn't go away, their knocking getting all the more insistent.  
"Oh fine!" she said, exasperatedly, slamming the comb down on the table. Her hair was undone but she had lost all patience with the knocks.  
She opened the door and glared as soon as she came face to face with the uninvited visitor. When she saw who it was, her eyes narrowed. Lee had been by her house today, declaring something about Neji and him being totally against the date. She planted her hands on her hips and said, "What do you want?"  
For once, Neji looked at a lost for words. He merely stared at her.  
After a long time, where no one said anything, Rin sighed. She felt that she had come off as being rather harsh at first, and was about to apologize when she caught sight of the clock again. She gave a small gasp.  
"Just great! Now I'm _really_ late! I'm really sorry, Neji, I have to go prepare for my-"  
"Come train with me."  
There was a moment of stunned silence as all Rin could do was stare at the man on her front porch. Mere words could not express her frustration and infuriation for him at that instant. But she would take a crack at it.  
"WHAT?!?!" She nearly tore her throat. "What did you say Hyuuga Neji?! Train?! I'm in a rush to make it to my date which is less than half an hour away and you want me to _train_ with you?!"  
They both knew that the reasons for Rin screaming ran far deeper than him asking her to training. She was about to slam the door in his face when-  
"Please, just come with me."  
She stopped her next outburst just in time. Did he just say please to her? That was extremely rare and Rin was tempted to check outside to see if there was a blue moon in the sky that night. Also, there was a note of desperation in his voice that she had never heard before. Not even when they were on that mission and were completely surrounded by enemies, too many for his or her clan techniques, and too close for her to use her strength.  
That was what made her follow him to the chilly training fields at night, right before her date. Dressed in nothing but a t-shirt and shorts, with her hair in a messy ponytail.  
Once they were there, all he could do was gaze at her, her dark hair glimmering when the moonbeam played with it, her lips slightly parted and her eyes shining.  
"Rin." he stopped and cleared her throat. "Rin, please, don't go on this date. You don't even like him."  
She blinked.  
"Yes, I do."  
"... What?"  
"I said, I do. He gave me gifts and told me that he's loved me for so long. He told me I was the most beautiful and spirited woman he has ever met." She sighed. "He said... he said I would make a lovely wife and he would take care of me forever." she said, smiling absently into the distance.  
She looked beautiful with that smile. Only, it wasn't from him.  
"Rin, don't go on a date with him. I know you don't want to." He immediate cursed himself silently for being so blunt for being unable to keep that commanding tone out of his voice. The wistfulness disappeared and a look of anger overtook her.  
"Neji, you're making no sense." she said through gritted teeth, trying to keep her temper under control. "First off, I have already agreed to go on the date. I can't back out now. Secondly, who are you to tell me what I want or what I should do?" She jabbed a finger into his chest.  
"But..." Neji stuttered. He quickly recovered. "But you're _Rin_."  
"And what's that suppose to mean?" she said with quiet anger.  
"It means that you don't date."  
"Have you not been living these few days? I am due to meet Shiro at the restaurant in ten minutes!" she raised her voice. "That happens to be a date."  
"You don't even like romance things." Neji argued. "You're a straight-to-the-point girl. You are not the type to want to be tied down with a family."  
At this, Rin's control evaporated and she glared at him, no longer able to keep her anger for him in check. But Neji meant to finish what he wanted to say.  
"You don't want to have kids. You don't need little brats running around, and messing up a house. It'll take up your time cleaning and cooking, and then your training time with me will be cut short. You don't need a husband. You don't want some dog hanging around you every second. You have your shinobi life, you are my partner. You don't want anything more-"  
"What the hell do you know what I want Neji?!" she cut him off. "Just when I thought your ego couldn't inflate anymore! You dare stand there and list things off about me that are all assumptions! Most of them are not even true! You're trying to tell me what I want or what I don't want? And they even say that you knew me best! Yes, there was some truth in it, I don't want a 'dog' as you said! I have no patience for romantic mushy crap! And my training time will decrease! But... I want a husband! I want a family! I would love to have kids!"  
Neji stared at her as tears started leaking out from the corner of her eyes. She was panting with anger.  
"I want to marry! I want to wear a wedding dress! I want to toss the bouquet! I want to live in a house near a quiet brook, with a loving husband and children of my own! I want to shop for baby food and crayons and story books and kids clothes! I want to cook for my family everyday! I want to have some one call me 'darling'! I want to be a mother and a wife! I want all of this, Neji!"  
What was this nonsense?  
"But, why? It would be a waste of a good ANBU." he said, not quite getting it. Rin took one look at the bewilderment on his face and somehow, this made her angrier.  
"I can still be a shinobi _and_ a wife! Oh, you wouldn't understand, it's a girl thing. You don't know how I would love it to have someone hug me and kiss me, protecting me always. Or have a family of my own, with kids to look after and teach and take care of. I want that, Neji! I really do!"  
"You do." Neji said. It wasn't really a question. But Rin was too far gone. Tears were streaming down her face but she did nothing to stem the flow.  
"Almost everyone we know have a better love life than us! Hinata is on her second child, Sakura is finally noticing Lee's approaches even if she's still hooked on Sasuke, Kiba and Chouji are vying each other for Ino even though she is dating Shikamaru, even Shino has a girlfriend! And he's covered with bugs! What do I have to show for all of this, Neji? Tell me! That I was stupid enough to fall for someone who was so infuriatingly blind to me? That I waited for five years but still got nothing? That I only agreed to this date because I was that much desperate? I love you, Neji, but what good has it done me?"

"Rin." He said her name softly and suddenly his arms were around her. This made her stop. She looked up at him with her tear-stained face and her red eyes. He was smiling at her even as she started pounding on his chest and trying to push him away. He just hugged her tighter to him.  
He held her like this for some time, his warm arms encircling her slender waist, till her crying finally ceased to occasional hiccups and her hands were too tired to hit him anymore. Then he tilted her head up and looked at her.  
"I love you, Rin."  
Her eyes widened for a second before Neji's lips met her and together, they shared a kiss in the middle of the training field.  
He wasn't a girl, and he still didn't understand why she wanted all that stuff when she had a great life in the ANBU. But...  
_'I love you. I would do anything for you to love me too. If that's what you want, I'll give it to you. I promise.'_


End file.
